Ukraine and PACE's leadership have fundamentally different views on Russia, - Kuleba

During his speech, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe said Russia doesn’t deserve to be banned from the organization

20:09, 22 January 2018

Open source

Ukraine is dissatisfied with the prospect that Russia might return to the PACE, Dmytro Kuleba, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe, told 112.ua.

“He (Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland) confirmed that he is ready to work towards the return of Russian delegation to the assembly. I am not satisfied with his view because, on this matter, the views of Ukraine and the Secretary-General don’t correspond. Although we have positive examples of cooperation, too. But as to Russia, our views are fundamentally different,” he noted.

Kuleba also confirmed that tomorrow there’ll be a closed assembly with Russian delegation, but for now, there’s no change of the parliamentary procedure.

“Change of the parliamentary procedure is Russia’s demand. At the tomorrow’s assembly, such a decision won’t be made. It’s the first assembly. There will be a general exchange of opinions. If the ad-hoc committee ratifies the decision to eliminate the possibility of introducing sanctions in the PACE, it will be a one hundred percent fulfilment of Russia’s demand,” he added.

Previously Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland said that Russia and other “problematic” countries should remain members of the Council of Europe so long as they don’t violate four articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ban of death penalty, tortures, forced labour and slavery, and punishment without trial).

In October, PACE approved the resolution, which stipulates the necessity to harmonize the rules of membership and representation of member countries in the PACE and the ministerial committee. Due to the approval of this document, PACE now may restore the membership of the Russian delegation. Ukraine offered amendments to the resolution but they were denied.